Arrogant Bastard | Summerz

Chapter 9

As I was still in charge of choosing our activities for the day, I decided I wanted to have dinner in a nice restaurant.

We ended up at the Foundation Room, which had an incredible view from the top of sixty-three floors. It was themed, like an old country house, and cozy.

After devouring the crab cakes as an appetizer, Kazuha chose steak and I ordered grouper.

Trying not to think about how I felt when she licked the sugar off my body was no use. Every time I looked at her lips, I could still feel them on me.

We ordered two bottles of wine, which seemed to flow on and on, as did the conversation. We talked for at least two hours. Kazuha told me what it was like growing up in Australia and talked more about the years he trained hard for a soccer career that never happened. We shared stories about our parents' fight against cancer. I told a lot of details about the end of my relationship with Jay.

I was feeling even closer to Kazuha. By the end of the night, it was as if I knew everything about her except her current life. That seemed to be the big black hole.

And, to make me even more distressed, she received a phone call during dinner that made her get up from the table. I knew that whoever it was had something to do with why she was checking up on me.

When she returned to the table, my heart was racing as I asked:

- Who was that?

She gave me a deadly look, and her tone was serious.

- Nobody important, Chaewon.

Instead of complaining, I drank more wine. With each sip, a false sense of happiness overcame my insecurities. I was extremely happy.

When we left the restaurant, she had to put her arm around my waist to keep me balanced. I wouldn't say I was totally drunk, but I was definitely happy. And so was Kazuha.

We were laughing for no reason. At one point, we passed in front of a chapel. There was a sign that read: Fake Weddings Here.

Kazuha stopped me in the middle of the sidewalk. The smell of alcohol on her breath hit me when she spoke close to my face.

- Marry me, princess.

- What?

- We have an illegitimate goat, a fake child together. - She laughed. - It's only fair that we have a to make an honest woman out of you.

- You're crazy!

- Fuck, we could send a photo to Jay. Wouldn't that be amazing? - Her mischievous smile sent shivers of desire through me. - Come on, it'll be fun.

She took me by the hand into the small white chapel.

A large man dressed like Elvis stood alone at the entrance.

- It's a good night for a wedding - he greeted us in a monotone.

- Do you need a reservation? - Kazuha asked.

- It's quiet tonight. It can be right now, if you like.

Kazuha looked at me, and her drunken eyes were crystal clear.

- What do you think?

I shrugged.

- There won't be a marriage certificate. It's not real.

So... no problem, right?

We filled in a form with some personal details. For a mere one hundred and ninety-nine dollars, we ordered the full wedding option, which included the ceremony, five digital photos, souvenir rings, a bouquet of artificial flowers and a borrowed dress of my choice. Before I knew it, I was being led by a woman with thick, curly red hair called Zelda. She took me to a back room where there was a rack of white dresses in different shapes and sizes. Zelda made me try on a few models, and I ended up choosing a mermaid-style lace strapless, which was a little too long. It was very low-cut, but it was the only one I liked.